


To secure peace (is to prepare for war)

by ToTheStarsWriting



Series: The Dragon Wars [4]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Dark!Jonathan, F/F, Family, Found Family, Jonathan - Freeform, M/M, Preparations for War, Protective Alec, Protective Magnus, Talk of War, Team as Family, they all love each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27178411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/pseuds/ToTheStarsWriting
Summary: Alec's family finally arrives, and plans are made.
Relationships: Isabelle Lightwood/Maia Roberts, Lydia Branwell/Clary Fray, Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago, pre Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: The Dragon Wars [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793539
Comments: 25
Kudos: 207





	1. Chapter 1

Life at the Sanctuary was so strange to get used to. It was a life unlike anything Alec had ever really experienced for himself. Not even at his own home base were he and his people allowed to be this free. They tried, sure, and they did their best with what they had. But they didn’t have the kind of wards that would allow for as much freedom as what Alec saw here. Dragons and Riders flying together for fun, laying out in the sun, chatting in little pods here and there with a level of relaxation that Alec couldn’t remember ever being able to feel.

All of it left Alec feeling a little off-kilter. Add in his general distaste for people, and his lack of desire to be close to anyone at the moment, and it made his days interesting. They’d already been there for five days and Alec still wasn’t sure what to make of half the people there. For the most part he really only interacted with a few Pairs, thankfully.

Catarina and Besla, who did their healing sessions each day, were the ones Alec saw the most. He’d discovered that Kyra had been right; the healer Pair did more than just mundane medicine. The two added an extra little punch to their healing. Something that they’d done when he first arrived, but only a little. “I don’t like the idea of using my ability on someone without their permission,” Catarina had explained to him the next day. “I did enough to make sure you’d live and left the rest to normal means. I wasn’t going to do more until I could ask you.”

As if Alec would turn down _healing_. Still, he could appreciate what she meant and why she’d done it. Especially after recent events. Being able to make that kind of choice for his own body eased a little bit of that ball of tension that didn’t seem to want to go away.

With Catarina and Besla’s help, by the start of his fifth day there Alec's body was almost completely healed, including his broken fingers. All that was left was a general ache that Catarina warned him would fade as his body caught up to the idea it had healed early.

Aside from her, Alec mostly saw Madzie, who he made a point to seek out each day, Raphael and Simon, who were spending a lot of time with Jace and therefore ended up around Alec by default, and Magnus.

Magnus sought out Alec every single day, and not just to talk battle plans or things like that – though they did spend plenty of time discussing those kinds of things. Alec was itching to go out and start gathering information again, and he could see that Magnus was the same even if he was trying to convince Alec to stay for now. Neither one of them were all that good at just sitting back and waiting for trouble to happen. They needed to be doing _something_.

But even after their war talk was over, Magnus still seemed to like to hang around. He wasn’t bothered by the distance that Alec kept between the two of them, or the way that Alec could go almost mute sometimes, or even how ‘cold’ Alec could sound at other times. Magnus didn’t seem to have an issue carrying the brunt of the conversation.

These people here, they were nice. Far nicer than many Alec had met with. Oh, there were a few he knew weren’t happy to have him there, and some that were scared. But for the most part they were alright.

Still, even with as nice as they all were, Alec was going to rest a whole lot easier when his own people showed up. Not just because he’d finally know they were safe, something which ached at him constantly while he waited, but because he at least knew how to be himself around them.

 ** _You worry too much,_** Kyra scolded him. The two of them were tucked up in their borrowed cave, curled together almost as far back as they could go. Alec was lying on the ground, her saddle working as a backrest/pillow, and Kyra’s head in his lap. They’d used to lay together like this all the time when she was so much smaller. Once, she’d been able to curl up in a tiny little ball in his lap. One that he could easily hide under his jacket. Now, her head was bigger than half his body, and she couldn’t lay on him for long like this without putting his legs to sleep.

They both loved it, though. They loved being able to lay together and hold on to one another. Like this, Alec could trace his hands over Kyra’s face, using special gloves to scratch in some hard-to-reach places, and just luxuriating in his ability to touch.

It felt even better knowing that most of their family was here with them. All they needed was Isabelle to be complete. Jace wasn’t currently with them, but he was close enough that Alec could easily sense him. He and Kyra had done their best to sort of _tag_ Jace with some of those abilities and skills they didn’t talk about. It mostly just allowed them to know where Jace was if they tried to look, and a general sensation of how he was feeling.

At the moment he seemed to be peaceful enough, which Alec was more than grateful for. He’d had a rough night – a nightmare that he wouldn’t talk about – and Alec and Kyra both knew it was already hard enough for him to be in a place like this. The memories it no doubt brought up…

They’d taken to pulling Jace as close as they could when he’d let them. But Alec knew his brother, and he knew sometimes Jace needed to be alone to think and process everything in his own time, in his own way. Which was what he was likely doing right at the moment. He’d left over an hour ago to ‘go for a walk’ and Alec had forced himself to not go with him.

Kyra gave Alec a mental _poke_ that broke up his thoughts and forced his attention to her. **_He’s doing okay. And we’ll make sure he stays that way._**

 _He seems happy here._ It was something that surprised Alec. Even with all the things about this that had to make it hard for him, and the things that he was undoubtedly dealing with, Jace honestly did seem happy here. _He’s making friends that aren’t part of our group._

**_He needs friends that aren’t just Clan. Clan loves you_ because _they’re Clan. Jace needs to see someone can love him for him._**

Sighing, Alec slid his hand under the edge of her frill and scratched the underside of it where it was smooth. Kyra wasn’t wrong. Jace needed a chance to go out and make friends that weren’t a part of their group – their Clan, as Kyra insisted on calling it.

 ** _It_ is _a Clan_**. Kyra’s mind voice rumbled with what Alec considered the bond-version of an eye roll. **_Just because you don’t wat to admit to it doesn’t mean it’s not true. The Shadowhunter Clan is growing by the day, my bonded one, and you can’t keep denying that. Not if you want to be the Alpha they deserve._**

That was the one thing Alec couldn’t argue and she knew it. Alec had tried only once to deny being the Alpha they all referred to him as. Some of his people had protested it outright while others had been a bit dramatic in spending the next week showing him that, whether he accepted the title or not, he _was_ their Alpha. High Alpha of the Shadowhunter Clan. It wasn’t a title Alec had sought out, yet it was his, and it was one he sought to live up to each and every day.

Instead of getting into all that again – they’d had this argument plenty of times and would no doubt do so plenty more in the future – Alec chose instead to focus on something else. _Did you happen to notice someone left us a nice cow outside our cave?_

Kyra gave a low, easy hum. **_Mmhm. I planned on getting up in a bit and eating. It’s still fresh enough to be good. Far fresher than it should be after sitting for a few hours, to be honest._**

Which likely meant that someone had done something to it to help preserve the meat. Everything Alec knew so far of the people here told him that only one person – one _dragon_ – would be able to do that.

Kyra rolled her head so that her eyes were hidden from Alec's face. **_Shut up._**

 _I didn’t say anything!_ Alec didn’t even bother trying to hide his mirth, though. Teasing Kyra was proving to be a whole hell of a lot of fun. Payback for all the times she’d teased him about the people he’d found attractive over the years.

When he’d had that brief phase where he’d thought he wanted _Jace_? Oh, Raziel, she hadn’t let him live it down for _ages_!

Alec hadn’t had the opportunity to get her back for that. Normally she wasn’t all that interested in other dragons. Unlike Alec, who his family and friends often said was _very_ , _very gay_ , his beautiful Kyra didn’t really have a preference. She enjoyed looking, she’d just never expressed interest beyond that. So much so that she and Alec had talked sometimes about her just not being interested _period_. They’d come across words like _aromantic_ and _asexual_ when they’d looked into labels for Alec.

Seeing her interested in someone now was something Alec was going to enjoy _so much_.

 ** _Quit acting like you’re doing any better_** , Kyra scolded him. She pushed up off his lap with a huff that had Alec smothering down a chuckle. Not that it worked. She didn't have to hear his laughter to know that he was laughing at her. Shooting him a sharp look, Kyra got to her feet in the cave – a cave that she didn't touch the roof of, for once – and turned her back on him to head toward the entrance. **_Just for that, I’m not sharing my cow with you._**

Alec let his chuckle out as he pushed to his feet. _Yeah, right._

Their teasing might've gone on if the tags they had on Jace didn't suddenly start ringing out a warning in their minds.

Neither one of them stopped to think. In a flash Alec was on his feet and darting toward Kyra. There was no time to put the saddle on her. No time to grab protective leathers, either. The most Alec had time for was to snag his bow and arrows off the wall and sling them on while he ran over to Kyra. One of her wings was already extended, and Alec hopped up on it, jumping when she flung him up just enough for Alec to land on her back.

A few steps put Alec in the perfect spot at the base of her neck to brace, boots on her shoulders and body carefully braced between two spines just a bit further up her neck than normal. It tilted his body, pressing him against her, angling him in a position he wouldn’t be able to maintain for long, especially not if she had to fly hard or fast, but it would keep him seated and keep him from damaging his thighs too much on her scales.

It only took seconds for Alec to brace himself. Then Kyra was pushing into the sunlight and diving off the side of cliff and straight in the direction of their missing family member.

Alec spotted Jace first, with Kyra easily following his lead and looking over. What they found when they did had Alec's blood boiling. Jace was standing on the opposite side of the lake from the main camp, on the small chunk of sand where a lot of the water dragons liked to come up for some sun before going back underwater. He was standing there with a small, dark-skinned girl clinging to him, and three Riders standing in front of him with weapons drawn and their dragons hissing behind them.

Alec shoved his emotions back and let the analytical, soldier part of his brain take over. _Three weapons. Two water dragons and one lightning._

 ** _Easy_** , Kyra snarled. **_Leave the dragons to me._**

As Kyra dove forward, Alec adjusted his stance, hips pushing to rest against the spike, and he drew his bow. Three arrows flew true – right into the ground in front of the trio of Riders pushing closer to his brother, stopping them in their tracks just the way Alec wanted.

They were close enough now that Alec was able to shove off Kyra’s back, tucking and rolling once he hit the ground. It ended with him on his feet right up in front of the riders.

His arrival stunned the others enough that they didn't react quick enough when Alec lashed out, using his bow to swipe out the legs of the first one, twisting his body around as he did to come up with an arrow in the other hand, jamming it into the leg of the next Rider – the one who'd been pointing an actual _gun_ at Jace. _How dare he_? Alec disarmed the bastard with a quick blow to his wrist. When the gun hit the ground, he kicked it over Jace's direction, pleased to see that his brother had taken Madzie and darted back to a safe distance.

Kyra let out a furious snarl at the same time that Alec moved smoothly to the next Rider. The guy was smart – he lifted his hands and dropped his weapons. It stopped Alec from hitting him, though it didn't stop him from pushing up to his feet and drawing his bow once more, an arrow at the ready.

Alec spared a glance up to see that Kyra had backed the dragons away from the others. She’d already taken down one of the water dragons, pinning him with a firm foot against his neck, and the other water dragon was cowering a little ways away, clearly looking for an opportunity to launch at her back. The lightning dragon was gearing up for trouble with a crackle of power building on their skin. None of the three were all that large, one of the water barely half Kyra's size, and Alec knew she could handle herself.

However, she didn't have to.

A loud roar rent the air. In an instant the three men in front of Alec looked a whole lot more confident than they had seconds ago, and the three dragons had a moment to look up before Rhea came dropping down out of the sky, fire on her scales and a snarl showing off her teeth. She didn't hesitate to land in the midst of everything and blow fire at the one threatening at Kyra’s back. Then she spun, wings up high and body braced, to roar once more at the lightning dragon. It was a furious cry; the cry of a pissed off Alpha.

The man on her back didn't seem to be doing much better. Magnus looked livid as he sat there amidst flames that didn't even singe his clothes. He had one hand on her scales and a glare on his face that echoed the fire burning over him and Rhea. “What the _hell_ is going on here?”

Magnus voice perfectly echoed Rhea’s earlier roar in fury. He was every inch the Alpha at the moment, sitting there and glaring down at them all. One that commanded respect and obedience.

Kyra gave a little whimper in their bond that Alec couldn't help but echo. _Okay, I won’t tease you anymore,_ Alec promised.

**_Sweet angels and magic. That was…_ **

_Yeah. Yeah it was._

The two of them might’ve just stood there staring if it weren’t for a sudden whining sound coming from right in front of Alec. The Rider that Alec shot let out a moan, his hand clutched tight around the arrow still in his leg. “He shot me!”

“You're damn straight he shot you,” Jace snapped from somewhere a few feet behind Alec. He sounded pissed. “You drew weapons on us!”

A furious “Quiet!” from Magnus silenced everyone.

While Rhea stayed by the other dragons, snarling out a warning at them when they dared to move, including the one that Kyra let up and backed away from, Magnus slipped down off the side of her and landed easily on the ground. He walked over toward Alec, eyes taking in the scene with a quick sweep. When his gaze connected with Alec again, his eyes were hard, yet not accusing like Alec had mostly expected them to be. “What happened here?”

Alec didn't lower his bow and Magnus didn't make him. Staring at the man in front of him, Alec spoke in a calm voice he _knew_ terrified people. “When we came flying up, these three were bearing arms against Jace and Madzie. Kyra and I came in and disarmed them so that Jace could be free to get Madzie to safety.”

The use of Madzie was deliberate. Alec wasn't above bringing up her presence to drive home his point here and make damn sure not only these idiots but also _Magnus_ knew just how much they'd screwed up. He knew it worked when he heard Magnus make a sound that was a lot more dragon-like than human.

Others were coming to join them. Alec took note of them and yet didn't move position. Not until Raphael had landed and come over to him, his own weapons in hand. The two men exchanged a surprisingly respectful look before Raphael faced the three Alec was watching, blade in hand and a warning scowl on his face. That alone was enough to let Alec know he could trust these people over to Raphael.

That left Alec free to put his arrow away and slide his bow back over his shoulder. Then he spun toward Jace, who was already walking forward with a scared looking Madzie in his arms. The little girl held her arms out and quickly made the transfer from Jace's arms to Alec's. She clung to him, arms and legs tight around him, and Alec held her just as close while he let his eyes run over his brother.

Jace gave him a half grin that didn’t come anywhere close to reaching his eyes. “I'm good, buddy.”

Behind them, Magnus was marshalling his people, giving out commands in a sharp voice that left no room for any kind of argument. “Raphael, Elias, I want these three confined to their caves until I get a chance to talk to them.”

“Yes, sir,” called out an unfamiliar voice. Elias, maybe.

Alec turned around, his body carefully shielding Jace and keeping Madzie away from everyone else, and watched as the three Pairs were escorted away. Only one of them tried to argue, and Josiah shut it down fast with a hiss that carried just as much threat as any growl Alec had ever heard.

For a moment everything was quiet as they watched the others go. Then they were up in the air, and that seemed to break the silence that had fallen over them.

Rhea was the first one to move. She turned herself around to look at Kyra, sharp eyes taking in every inch of Kyra's body in a clear check for injuries. One that had Kyra huffing a little. “I'm fine.”

“That you are,” Rhea quipped immediately, her eyes dragging back up to Kyra’s face. She gave a sharp, toothy grin that had Kyra’s end of the bond shivering again.

Alec's attention split between that and watching the man in front of him. Some of the Alpha that Magnus had been projecting started to fade away. He stepped toward Alec and Jace, eyes looking around Alec to where Jace was still being sheltered. He sounded almost concerned when he asked, “You all right back there, Herondale?”

“Yeah,” Jace called back. He put a hand on Alec's arm, brushing his fingers over Madzie as he did, which seemed to soothe her a little, and then he stepped around Alec to smile at Magnus. “Sorry about that.”

“Why don’t you tell me what happened before you start apologizing?”

The fact that Magnus didn't immediately assume it was something Jace had done only further endeared Alec to the man. Not many people would've given Jace the benefit of the doubt. Not knowing who he was. But Magnus was standing here asking Jace honestly what had happened, and he looked like he was going to listen to the answer. It wasn't something either Alec or Jace were used to. They exchanged a brief look, the question in Jace's eyes easy to see. Alec gave him a small nod.

When Jace turned back, his stance shifted a little – the soldier giving report. It was a bit of his early childhood training he'd never been able to get rid of.

“I was over here with Madzie so she and Ttu could show off some of the new tricks they've learned,” Jace began, voice steady. “Madzie went into the water with him for some of them. When they were underwater, one of the trio of men you saw approached me and told me I needed to leave. His friends came over with him to help insist on it.”

“Verbally, or physically?” Magnus asked him. He had his arms crossed and was watching Jace intently as he told his story.

One corner of Jace's mouth quirked. “Verbally, first. As soon as I stood up, they tried to turn it physical. The one Alec shot got a lucky hit in.”

 ** _You should’ve shot him again,_** Kyra snarled.

Jace went on, ignoring any reactions around him, though he did start to rub a little at Alec's arm. “They drew their weapons after that. Before they could escalate further, Madzie and Ttu came tearing up out of the water. I told Ttu to go and get you guys, but at that point, Alec and Kyra arrived.”

“And proceeded to kick ass,” Rhea chimed in, walking over to stand with her Rider. She nudged Kyra with her, finally letting the younger dragon go.

Kyra wasted no time in racing over to stand at Alec's side. She ducked her head down and nosed against Jace's shoulder, checking him out for herself. At the same time, a tiny little wet rocket came straight for Alec. He didn’t try and move, just braced himself and fought back a wince as Ttu shamelessly used his claws to scale Alec's leg in his effort to reach his Rider. In no time he was shoving himself between them so that he was cuddled against Madzie’s chest, and she’d already pulled an arm in to start petting at him.

That brought everyone’s focus to the small girl Alec was still holding. Magnus softened as he looked at her, and Jace was broadcasting worry for those that knew how to look.

“Why don’t we get everyone back over to the shore?” Magnus asked gently, looking to Madzie and then back up at Alec in a clear message. “I’m sure Catarina wants to get a chance to look everyone over.”

Getting Madzie to Catarina proved not as easy as they'd hoped. First, they had to get back across the water, and that meant either swimming or flying. Alec could've managed the flight back over, at least long enough to hop across, but he didn't want to have to do it with Madzie in his arms if he didn't have to, and he had Jace with him as well.

In the end, Kyra solved it for them, letting out a low huff and firmly telling Alec and Jace “You're both ridiculous. Now get over here.” Then she sat back on her back feet and reached out with her front feet to them both as soon as they were close. Jace closed his eyes and swore, long and low. Alec shot him a glare. “Language!”

“Bite me!” Jace fired back. “I hate this!”

That was all they had the chance to say. Kyra's fingers and talons closed carefully around the two of them and drew them against her chest. There, with one arm banded there to hold them tight, she gave a great _leap_ and a flap of her wings that took them into the air.

It was only seconds that they stayed pressed to her, wind whipping against them from the flight, and then she was coming smoothly to the ground and Alec was free to lower his legs down again, bracing himself up just in time for her to let go of them.

Jace hadn't been quite as quick. His feet hadn't been on the ground yet when Kyra let go of them and it left him toppling down, a curse on his lips. He rolled away from them and shoved up, glaring up at Kyra's smirking face. “You did that on purpose!”

Kyra sat down in the grass, her wings settling in behind her, and she tried to look innocent. It only served to make her look even more threatening than normal. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

A soft little giggle came from Madzie.

Catarina chose that moment to rush toward them, and Alec had every intention of just handing Madzie over, only the little girl made it clear _she_ wasn't on board with that plan. At least not at first. She held on tighter to Alec and squeezed her knees in when Catarina touched her.

Alec closed his eyes for a second and blew out a careful breath. Then, conscious of the eyes that were on him, he turned his face in toward Madzie's hair. “Hey, sweetheart, you're all right. I was just going to hand you over to Catarina so she could make sure you're okay.”

“Don't wanna,” Madzie said softly. She clung even tighter to him like she was going to make damn sure he didn't even think about letting her go.

Alec pressed a soft kiss against Madzie's hair. “I know you don't, little fish. But I need to know that you're okay. Plus, I need to talk to Magnus for a minute, and the things I have to say aren't for little girls to listen to.”

He felt her shift against him, her nose pressing against his neck. “About the bad men?”

“Mm hm.”

“What if they come back?” Madzie whispered.

Alec wasn't sure whether she was talking about the trio that had just tried to attack Jace, or the men who had likely murdered her parents. Not that it really mattered. To her, they were all likely the same at that moment. Bad men who came and tried to hurt her and the people around her. She’d seemed like she was settling in here, finally starting to feel safe. Had these assholes damaged that? Had they taken her safe space and shattered it?

If that proved to be the case, Alec was going to do more than just shoot them. The growl in their bond let him know that Kyra was on the same page as him.

None of Alec's grief showed in his voice. He kept it strong and steady, something that he knew she desperately needed in that moment. She needed an adult she could trust and whose words she could believe. Not someone else who was panicking right along with her. “You'll be safe here with Catarina and Besla. They won't let anything happen to you, Madzie. Those bad men, they weren’t there to hurt you. They were just mad at Jace, that’s all.”

“Did he do something to hurt them?” Madzie asked. She pulled her head back just a little, eyes darting up to Alec's.

He shook his and smiled, making sure to lift his gaze for a moment and look over her shoulder to where Jace stood, watching them with sadness on his face. “No, Jace didn't hurt them. They _think_ he did, but it wasn't him. Jace is a good guy.” Something that Alec would remind Jace of over and over for as long as it took for him to believe it.

Madzie looked like she was thinking about it for a moment. She drew back a little more, sitting up straighter in his arms. Then her eyes went over to Jace, who gave her a small, pained smile. Something about that must've made Madzie's decision for her. When she turned back to Alec, she had a serious, stubborn look on her face, and a cute little crinkle in her nose. “You gotta tell them Jace didn't do it, and they can't be mean to him. It's not okay to be mean to people. Mama taught me that. An you don't be mean to people who weren't mean to you first.”

The words had the air of being something she'd heard many times and was parroting back to him. Alec's smile grew in response. He remembered having the same kind of conversation with his sister back before he'd left home. “That's right, Madz. I'll make sure they know that.”

“Good.” With that, she gave a firm little nod, and then she was scrambling out of his arms until Alec lowered her to the ground. Catarina took the little girl's hand when she got close, shooting a thankful look Alec's way before walking off with her.

Alec stared after them for a moment to make sure they were leaving. Then he turned around and found Jace and Magnus both staring at him. Jace was grinning and shaking his head, though there was a look of gratitude in his eyes that made it clear he'd caught Alec's message loud and clear.

Magnus, on the other hand, was practically beaming at him. “If only the world could see you now,” he said teasingly. “Alexander Lightwood, child whisperer. People wouldn't be so afraid of you after they saw you with a sweet little girl in your arms.”

Color flooded Alec's cheeks. He heard Jace cackling and had to resist the urge to elbow his brother.

It looked like Magnus was going to open his mouth again and say something else, only he went suddenly still, and so did Rhea. “Oh, _now_ what?” Magnus demanded. He looked off into the distance, eyes going slightly unfocused like he was focusing on something not there with them. Then he blinked and his gaze was clear once more. When he turned to Alec, there was a faint smile on his lips. “I believe we're about to have some company, darling.”

It only took a second for that to sink in. When it did, Alec lit up with a grin. There was only one group of visitors coming that would have Magnus telling him like that, and with that smile.

Izzy! Alec missed the stunned look on Magnus' face at the way his smile brightened his whole face. Honestly, Alec didn't stick around long enough to see it. He turned toward Kyra the minute he realized what Magnus meant. She already had a wing extended to help boost him up. In seconds, Alec was on her back, feet braced once more on her shoulder/wing joints, the rest of him tucked forward. They could've gone up and gotten their saddle but honestly, it didn't even occur to them. Alec would take a little damage to his thighs.

Someone else apparently didn’t want that, though.

“Hold on now, you two,” Magnus called out, laughing as he did. He was already by Rhea, halfway up to his saddle. Once he was seated, he grinned over at them and snapped his fingers, calling the saddle out of their cave and onto Kyra's back. The display of magic didn't even make Kyra twitch, though Alec jumped a little at his seat shifting around underneath him. As he sank down into the saddle, he looked up at Magnus only to find the other Rider grinning at him. Magnus winked at him when their eyes connected. “Wouldn't want you damaging those pretty legs of yours, gorgeous.”

With that, Magnus and Rhea took off, leaving Kyra and Alec to stare up after the two.

Jace let out a low laugh from where he still stood beside them, down on the ground. “You two are so screwed.”

“I wish,” Alec murmured, too low for anyone but Kyra to hear.

She snorted at him. “You and be both, my bondmate. But for now – get up here if you're coming with us, Jace.”

They were a little bit behind Magnus thanks to having to wait for Jace to get up and join them. But Kyra was strong, and she was fast. Even with two on her back compared to Rhea's one, she still caught up with the other dragon easily, leaning in as she went past so that their wings brushed together without bumping each other off course. Then she let out a laugh and cut a sharp left, swerving around a few trees. Alec could hear Magnus' laughter as the two easily joined them, slipping and slide through the trees, the two dragons trying to race one another.

Then the trees suddenly broke and the wards washed over them as they passed through them and out into suddenly open air at the edge of the mountainside. Kyra didn’t hesitate to dive down off the edge, down the steep cliff, making Jace swear and tighten his hold on Alec. Laughing, Kyra twisted and rolled, quickly reversing their position and taking them back up.

It was the first time Alec and Kyra had been able to really _fly_ since before his capture. Good as it felt, they were going to have to come back out later when they didn’t have family right there waiting for them. Family that Alec hadn’t seen in far, far too long.

Their arrival had sent the others back up into the air from where it looked like they’d been waiting on the clifftop. Alec, Jace, and Kyra found themselves surrounded by dragons. Not as many as Alec had expected, but all the ones closest to him were there. Worry curled in his stomach at the idea that others hadn’t come with them, though the logical part of him said that it made sense. Having all of them come at once would’ve been stupid and dangerous. Others had duties they were already attending to, and someone needed to be around to answer the call. But that didn’t make his worry less.

When Kyra gave another turn, sailing over top of some of them, Alec felt Jace shift and knew exactly what it was his brother was going to do. Kyra recognized it, too. She lowered her wing in just enough time for Jace to push off the saddle, leaping from his seat with them. When Alec and Kyra circled back, they found Jace sitting astride a gorgeous moonstone dragon, with Maia scowling at him and Jace laughing.

Alec shook his head, his grin overtaking his lips. He wanted nothing more than to join them, to go down there and greet his family, only he couldn't. Not out here. Not now. With current circumstances it was too risky, and they didn't want to draw any more attention to this place than Alec's presence already might have.

Letting out a sharp whistle, Alec gestured with his left hand, signaling them all to follow. Then he and Kyra flew over to Magnus and Rhea, grinning at them as they shot forward once more, over the trees this time instead of through them. It did something to Alec's stomach to watch how Magnus and Rhea kept side by side with them the whole way back. They flew together, with Alec's people behind him. Alec tried to ignore how _right_ it felt.

Plenty of people were watching from all around the Sanctuary as the group arrived. The sight of so many new Pairs – _warrior_ Pairs at that – was undoubtedly terrifying. Alec knew what they all looked like. He’d seen the reactions of people when his teams arrived on the battlefield or in towns. They cut a sharp image when they first arrived, their clothes and weapons too similar to those of the Hunters. Yet it never took them long to make friendly with any locals. Not these ones.

A large patch of grass was open for them all to land on. It was close to the water, far away from the central building, and a few of Magnus’ people looked like they were standing guard near the caves that were over here.

Alec didn’t pay any of those people any attention. He and Kyra had barely landed when Clary’s sunspot Ravi circled over them and Isabelle was scrambling off the back of the slender wyvern to launch herself straight toward Alec the same way that Jace had jumped down to join Maia earlier.

Laughing, Alec held his arms out and helped catch her. She landed easily and gracefully on Kyra’s side, hands caught in Alec's, and she wasted no time in scrambling into the saddle with him, right into his lap. She quickly wrapped her arms around him.

“You’re okay, you’re okay!” Isabelle swore happily, arms tight around his neck and absolutely no fear that he would let her fall. She hugged him tight and then pulled back to look up at his face. The way she was drinking him in, the barely banked worry there, told him that Jace must’ve let her know some of what had happened. That was only confirmed when she said, “I was so worried about you, Alec!”

“I'm all right,” Alec said easily. At her unimpressed stare, he chuckled. “Really, I am, Iz. Promise.”

“Yeah, well, you don't always tell us when you're still hurting, so forgive me for being suspicious.”

“If you thought I was hurt, why'd you jump on me?”

The embarrassed flush to her cheeks had him grinning. That grin faded though as he finally got the chance to ask the question that had been plaguing him from the instant he’d seen them. “Where’s everyone else, Iz?”

She waved his concern off immediately. “Don’t worry. Lydia said bringing everyone here was a huge security risk, and Andrew agreed with her. So we emptied out the base, sent everyone else over to Luke, and we sent a fire message ahead so he’d know what was going on. He’s going to put the place on lockdown until he hears from us again.”

That wasn’t the best, but it was good enough, at least for now.

“Alec.” Isabelle’s voice shifted into something softer, and more clearly worried. “What’s going on? What’s all this about?”

“I’ll tell you in a bit. Preferably after we’re all out of the saddle,” he promised.

Isabelle clearly didn’t like that, but she also knew him well enough to know when he was determined about something and wouldn’t be moved. Now was one of those times. Acquiescing with a sigh, she made as if to try and hop down, only for Alec to beat her to it.

He shifted his hold on her very carefully, situating his arm better around her waist under the pretense of keeping her from falling. Then, before she could realize what his plan was, he used that hold to hoist her up in the air, slinging her over his shoulder. Isabelle’s shrieks echoed loudly around them. They were followed almost immediately by swearing in Spanish when Alec dropped down out of the saddle with her still over his shoulder.

“Put me down!” Isabelle demanded loudly over the sounds of people laughing around them, her own laughter taking the edge off her words.

Alec did as she ordered, carefully setting her down and then straightening back up. Isabelle was grinning at him, her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were twinkling. _Good. Panic neatly diverted_.

 ** _Nice job,_** Kyra murmured approvingly.

There wasn’t a chance for Isabelle to start her panic again, either. As soon as the two were standing up straight Alec found himself surrounded by people and dragons.

Clary reached him first, using her small stature to slip around everyone and go under their arms so that she could pop up directly in front of Alec. He rolled his eyes as her arms wrapped around his waist. Yet he still curled his own arm around her to hug her to him. Affection and annoyance was just how the two of them functioned together. It worked for them, to the bafflement of everyone else. “Hey there, Fray.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Alec.” Pulling back, she punched him in the stomach, mock-glaring when he didn’t even flinch. “Don’t you ever worry us like that again!”

“Come on, Fray, you can throw a better punch than that,” came a voice from right behind her. Maia stepped up, her lips quirked up into a half-smirk that was as friendly as she was going to get out in front of everyone. Her eyes ran over Alec, giving him a quick sweep to make sure that he was really okay, while her dragon Luan came up behind her and gave Alec the very same look.

Neither Maia nor Luan were the touchy type, but they were amongst the few that Alec would label as _friend_.

Most of those here fit in that category. Others were more than just that – they were _family_. He looked around at them all and felt some of the darkness inside push back just a little further. Isabelle, Jace, Maia and Luan, Clary and Ravi, Lydia and Isolde, Andrew and Valda. These people were his best fighters, the ones he’d want beside him as he planned for this war, but they were also the ones he’d say he was closest to. The ones who had wormed their way in past the high defenses Alec put up to keep himself safe.

Isabelle was leaning against Alec's side, holding him close like she wasn’t quite ready to let him go, and her other hand was stretched out to hold Jace’s, keeping both her brothers right there with her. Clary had let go of Alec, only to step up beside Lydia, their hands discreetly clasped at their sides. Behind them, Andrew and Valda stood like a rear guard, and the two gave Alec a nod when his eyes reached them.

Having them there made everything suddenly seem a little easier to deal with. They still had trouble in their future – Jonathan was still a threat. But it felt a little easier to deal with knowing that he had his people here with him. For the first time since his rescue, Alec felt almost _whole_.


	2. Chapter 2

They couldn’t all stay there in the open the way they were. Not if they wanted to be able to talk about anything. Too many eyes were on them. Magnus was the one to step forward and offer them a solution.

“If you don’t mind leaving your better halves out here, I’ve got a few carefully warded rooms inside our main building,” Magnus suggested, one hand gesturing off toward the main building.

His voice reminded Alec that they weren’t alone out here. There were others watching them. Rhea seemed content to stay back and watch the others, who all kept a slight distance from her, but Magnus had woven his way around everyone to come up alongside Kyra, standing in front of her chest without an ounce of fear.

 ** _Little as I like being apart from you, you can go and brief the Riders while I take care of the dragons,_** Kyra offered.

It was a smart plan. One they’d used plenty of times before. Divide and conquer – it let them get the information out quickly. None of the others here had a bond quite like Alec and Kyra did. There weren’t any that were telepathic beyond much distance, and none of them were anywhere deep as their Alphas shared. That meant that they didn’t have a way to share information back and forth while separated for meetings the way Alec and Kyra could. So often in places like this where there was no private meeting space to fit them all, Alec would go in for a meeting with the Riders while Kyra took care of the dragons outside, and the two would exchange information back and forth as needed.

Straightening himself up, Alec gave Magnus a nod and a “Thank you, Alpha Rider Bane.” The use of his title was a deliberate move that Alec could see Magnus understood. He didn’t protest it, simply nodded back and turned to walk away toward the building, calling out to someone as he went.

Looking at his own people, Alec straightened up, slipping back into the role of leader with an ease that had been hard won. He hadn’t always wanted to be a leader, but he’d become one anyway, and it was a role he took seriously.

“All right, you guys heard him. We’re going to go to the main building up there where we can guarantee some privacy. There are a lot of people here at this Sanctuary, and a few children, almost all of whom are civilians. So I expect to see you all on your best behavior.” Here, Alec cut his gaze over to the dragons, the ones that would be outside around everyone.

Kyra let out a low rumble that had the dragons twitching a little. “They’ll behave, don’t worry.”

Nodding, Alec shifted his gaze to his Riders next. “The rest of you, with me. I expect you on your best behavior too. Alpha Rider Bane didn’t have to let us stay here, nor did he have to let us meet here. We’re going to show him the respect he deserves.”

Hopefully that warning would be enough to curb some of the sharper tongues in this group. Not that Alec held out particularly high hopes of that. Especially not when they really got into talks about this. Alec didn’t exactly have high hopes for this first meeting going all that well. He’d explained some in his letter to Isabelle even if he’d left out a detail or two. Those details were going to have to be put out in the open now and Alec hated it.

He snuck a look at Clary as they walked up toward the building. She was side by side with Lydia, poking at her a little and grinning wide and bright without any of the old shadows that had once haunted her. It drew a smile out of the usually stoic Lydia that softened her face in a way only those close to her were ever privileged to draw out.

The two of them were one of the most unlikely couples that Alec had ever seen. When Clary had first come to them, he’d been so sure that she and Isabelle were going to end up together. The two had hit it off fast and hard, and there’d been a clear attraction there. But it hadn’t worked out that way. Instead, she’d fallen head-over-heels for the trainer Alec had put her with when she’d come to them.

Clary had come a long way from the angry, terrified young girl she’d been when she first walked on their base a few years back with Ravi walking alongside her and demanded to become a Shadowhunter.

Alec hadn’t had any idea who she was or where she’d come from, and she’d come crashing into their life with demands to become a Shadowhunter and a massive chip on her shoulder.

When he’d found out that she was Jocelyn Fairchild’s daughter – the wife of Valentine who’d left long ago – Alec had only had more reason to distrust her. Something that Jace didn’t hesitate to point out was a massive bout of hypocrisy. Especially since, as Jace said, “She didn’t even grow up with him, Alec. Her mom got her out before she was even born.”

Two months after Clary joined them, her mother and stepfather came and joined as well. Now, two years later, Alec couldn’t picture a life without this annoying little spitfire in it. Jocelyn and Luke helped to run the European based Shadowhunters, and though they didn’t like it, Clary stayed with Alec's United States Shadowhunters. There was no way she was going to leave Lydia, and Lydia had sworn her life and service to Alec after he’d saved her life on the battlefield.

No matter the headaches she gave him, Alec cared about her. About both of them. Which meant he wasn’t looking forward to what he was about to have to do. This was going to hurt Clary more than anyone else other than Jace. When rumors of Jonathan had first started cropping up, Clary had confronted Jocelyn about it and her mother had insisted that the boy she’d had was dead.

It was what had convinced Alec that these were just rumors. That there was no other Jonathan out there. Now… now they didn’t have the luxury of that fantasy anymore.

* * *

A few minutes later found Alec and his people gathered in what was clearly a meeting hall. Magnus was with them, as was expected, and Alec wasn’t surprised to see that Raphael was there as well. He caught the other man’s gaze and didn’t even have to ask.

“I left Josiah, Elias, and Simon with them,” Raphael explained, knowing just what Alec was concerned about.

Alec nodded at him. Good. He didn’t want them getting away with what they’d done. Those assholes had attacked Jace and risked hurting Madzie.

Kyra’s voice drifted into Alec's mind, low and dangerous. **_Don’t worry, I’ve got my eye on them, too._**

That eased Alec more than anything else. Kyra would keep a watch on everything, and all the other dragons with her would follow her lead easily if anything cropped up. He could trust that everything out there would be okay while they were taking care of business here inside.

The room Magnus had brought them to had a large table with about ten chairs around it. Just enough to fit them all. Alec waited for Magnus and Raphael to take their seats first, giving them the courtesy as this was their home, their turf, and for all that these people were Alec's this was still Magnus’ place. He was Alpha here. So Alec waited, giving Magnus time to seat himself at the head of the table with Raphael to his right. Only then did Alec take the seat to his left.

Jace took Alec's other side, and Isabelle beside him. The rest situated themselves evenly around the table. Andrew took the seat next to Raphael, with Clary and Lydia by him, and Maia taking the seat at Isabelle’s side.

“Well,” Magnus said, clapping his hands together. He was reclined a little in his seat in a deceptively lazy sprawl. “Why don’t we start things off with a few introductions? For those of you that don’t already known us, that is. I’m Magnus Bane, Alpha Rider of the Western Sanctuary, and this dour looking gentleman at my right is Raphael Santiago, my Head of Security. Usually we’d have Catarina here, as she tends to run the day-to-day around here, but she’s a bit busy at the moment. I’m sure you’ll come across her later.”

There was a hint of formality to his words. The kind of formality that always baffled people who weren’t used to dealing with dragons, or with their Riders.

In a way, Valentine wasn’t entirely wrong when he said that Riders became a bit less human when bonding with their dragons. There were some things that translated over between the two. Bonded dragons were a bit calmer, a bit more tolerant and understanding of human ways, while Riders became a bit more _dragon._ It could translate in certain ways, like the sense of formality and honor that was so much a part of dragon culture. It was much more noticeable in moments like this.

Alec sat up straighter, meeting Magnus respect for respect. “It’s an honor to be here, and we thank you for allowing us near your Clan, Alpha Rider Bane. Allow me to introduce my own people. You know Jace Herondale, my brother and Clanmate. Beside him is my sister Isabelle Lightwood, our Weapons Master, and her mate Maia Roberts. Across from them is my second-in-command, Lydia Branwell, and her mate Clary Fray, as well as my Head of Security, Andrew Underhill.”

That was enough for formalities to be recognized, thankfully. With that out of the way, Isabelle immediately leaned forward and grinned at Magnus before declaring, “It’s great to meet you, Alpha Bane. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, my dear,” Magnus replied, smiling back at her.

With the formalities out of the way, it seemed the rest weren’t willing to wait for this meeting to get started. It didn’t really surprise Alec to see the one that spoke up first.

“What’s going on, Alec?” Clary asked, showing her usual bluntness. She’d mellowed so much from being with Lydia, a woman who knew perfectly well how to be discreet when necessary, but there were some traits that were just a part of Clary. They wouldn’t ever go away entirely. On a good day, Alec could admit he didn’t want them to. “Why’d you call us here instead of coming home to tell us whatever’s going on? And why send everyone away? Izzy would only say it was important.”

This wasn’t a talk that Alec wanted to have. Nor was it one that he felt ready to have, at least in some ways. He didn’t want to deal with whatever probing questions might come. The idea of having to explain to them how he came across this information wasn’t exactly a thrilling one. None of his people were going to be happy about it. If he were lucky, he might be able to gloss over it. Hopefully they’d all end up too distracted by what he was telling him that they wouldn’t press on _how_ he got the information.

Alec felt it as Jace moved his leg a little closer so that their knees bumped together underneath the table. It was a deliberate touch, Alec knew. The way he kept his leg there made that clear. Alec gratefully accepted the touch as well as the comfort it brought. It helped give him the strength to get started.

“On my last mission, Kyra, Jace, and I were checking out what we thought was a stronghold for some Circle members. Through them, I learned some information that was important to more than just us.” Alec neatly avoided mentioning that he’d been captured and tortured before learning any of this. He just kept on, ignoring the looks that Jace, Isabelle, and even Magnus sent his way. Folding his arms on the table, Alec looked around at everyone one by one, ending on Clary.

She looked concerned, but not really upset. Not yet. Alec knew that was about to change.

“I happened to overhear some of them talking. They were discussing their new leader – a person more than willing to step in and take over Valentine’s work. Someone a lot more dangerous to our cause, who’s quite eager to get his hands on all of us.” Drawing in a deep breath, Alec knew he couldn’t put it off. He had to do this quickly and cleanly. He held Clary’s gaze as he said, “They were talking about Jonathan.”

It hurt to watch the way that Clary blanched at that. How she drew back like she’d been struck, eyes going wide and her mouth actually falling open. Shock was the only expression on her face for a moment. It quickly made room for disbelief. “That’s impossible!”

Lydia reached out in an uncharacteristically public display, her hand curling over Clary’s arm. Sharp blue eyes snapped over to Alec. “Are you sure it’s the same Jonathan?”

Not _are you sure_ , but _are you sure it’s the same person_. Lydia didn’t question what he’d heard. Just the validity of it. Alec couldn’t blame her for that, either. He’d questioned it too. But he knew what he’d heard. “As sure as I can be,” Alec answered her calmly. “I mean, without a blood test we can’t be positive. But they referred to him by name, called him Valentine’s son, and some of things they talked about I can personally verify Jace was with me when it happened, so we know they aren’t just rumors trying to pin stuff on Jace like usual.”

The color had drained out of Clary’s face with each passing word. “But… Mom said he was dead.”

Alec tried not to wince at the ache he heard there. Clary sounded so young in that moment. Like a child pleading with an adult to tell her it was just a nightmare and everything would be okay. He wanted to give that to her, he did, but he couldn’t. Much as this felt like a nightmare, it was all too real.

While Clary sank back against Lydia, her whole body slumping under the weight of what she’d just learned, Alec took a moment to look around the table. He caught the sympathetic look that Magnus was shooting her way, and the blank expression that Raphael wore. Neither one of them seemed surprised by Clary’s words. They didn’t act confused about her connection to Jonathan, her obvious distress in his existence, or her mention of her mother saying he was dead.

“You know who Clary is,” Alec said, startling the room around him. He hadn’t mentioned anything about Clary and who she was to Magnus, something he’d been wondering if he should’ve done before this. But he’d hoped being able to see her and meet her before finding out who she was would prevent anyone from making assumptions about the girl.

Only, it looked like that wasn’t necessary. Raphael stayed quiet, the lack of expression on his face enough of an answer. But Magnus nodded, his eyes still on Clary. “I met you when you were just a baby,” he told her. “Your mother came to me for help in getting out and into hiding.”

Realization lit up Clary’s face. “You’re the Rider she talked about,” she breathed out. Her eyes were wide and focused right on Magnus. The grief was still there, and Alec knew that later he’d have to seek her out and make sure that she was okay – and that she wasn’t about to go off and do anything stupid, which was far too likely an outcome – but for now he was grateful for the distraction. It wasn’t taking away her pain but it was giving her another focus.

A soft smile warmed Magnus’ face. “Your mom tried to hide on her own, but when she realized she couldn’t, she and Eamon sought me out for help. We got you somewhere safe and protected as best as we could. I hadn’t expected to find you years later with the Shadowhunters.”

Before Clary could answer that, Lydia spoke up, her voice calm and smooth. “That’s a long story suited for a better time. Right now, I think we should focus on more important matters.” She waited a second, giving everyone time to protest or settle, and then turned to look at Alec. “We’ll need to send out information to all of our people. Everyone needs to be on alert. If Jonathan’s going to go after anyone, it’s a safe bet he’s going to go after you or Jocelyn.”

“Or come here,” Jace said, startling everyone. All eyes jerked toward him. The idea of Jonathan coming here was enough to send a chill through the room.

“It’s not possible,” Magnus said firmly. “Not with the wards around this place. He might get close, but he won’t get in.” There was conviction in his words, strong and true, and yet Alec couldn’t help but wonder who Magnus was trying to convince. Them, or himself?

 ** _They’re going to be sitting ducks_**. Kyra sent the words with a low rumble of protective worry. Alec could feel it in her the same as he felt it in himself. In this, the two mirrored one another perfectly. Their need to protect the ones they cared about and the people who needed help. **_They underestimate him the same as everyone else does. Too many people seem to think the stories are just stories._**

That was true. There were so many stories out there about Jonathan. Too many that were attributed to _Jace_ , no matter what they did to try and dispel those ones. But rumors of Jonathan were abundant. Unfortunately, instead of making people more and more terrified of him, it seemed to leave people either believing that there was no way this person actually excited – that they were just some sort of boogeyman meant to terrify everyone – or they believed it up to a point, but discounted the more ‘outlandish’ tales.

Not to say that people weren’t afraid. Oh, they were. Just his name was enough to strike fear in plenty of people. But they just… they weren’t afraid _enough_. Not if half of what Alec had heard and learned was true. And with what Alec knew of Valentine, things he’d seen while with the Hunters, things he’d heard from Jace, he had a sinking feeling that those _outlandish stories_ held far too much truth.

Kyra let out another of those low, worried rumbles in their bond. **_We never should’ve had them come here._**

Alec didn’t bother arguing that. They’d made the decision, yes, and at the time it’d seemed like the right one. Bring his friends and family here, somewhere that they’d be safe. Somewhere they’d be able to group together and figure out their next move where they couldn’t be found my Jonathan and his people. Alec had been selfish, wanting to take time to heal and keep his family safe, and in doing so he’d put the people here at risk. _We should’ve just stuck with our original plan of leaving._

**_If they manage to track us here, our leaving would’ve done nothing. It would’ve just left them as an obstacle between them and us. One I doubt that Jonathan or the Circle would hesitate to take out._ **

It took effort for Alec not to sigh. He sat back in his seat, ignoring the conversation around him completely, and turned his focus inward in a way that those closest to him recognized. He didn’t see how they shifted in their conversation. How a few of his family drew a little closer, or how Lydia sat up straighter to take up command while he was indisposed. They all watched over Alec and left him to sink into his bond a little and focus.

 _We’re going to have to be very deliberate in our moves when we leave here,_ Alec pointed out. He drew his hands together in his lap, fingers rubbing against the space between forefinger and thumb on his opposite hand.

Kyra gave a low rumble of agreement. **_They know we’re too good to get spotted everywhere. But, if we’re very careful about_ who _spots us and_ how _, we could probably make it believable._**

That might work. Lay a false trail. They’d run the risk of it not being found, which would defeat the purpose. But maybe if they layered it with some other information slipped here and there. Maia didn’t hide as deeply as Alec did. They could have her be seen somewhere with just enough subtle hints to lead Jonathan or the Circle off in a direction far away from the Sanctuary or any of the actual Shadowhunter bases. _That would take care of us. But what about everyone here? We can’t just leave them and hope that Jonathan doesn’t find this place. Even without us here, you know he’ll be hunting down this place. His father wanted desperately to find it, and if what we’ve heard about Jonathan is right, he has things to help him that his father didn’t._

 ** _We could leave a few people here for protection, but that’s_ if _Magnus would even allow that_**.

Alec looked up from his hands to find that, though the conversation was still going around them, Magnus was already watching him. There was a look on his face that told Alec yet again that this man was smart – far smarter than most. Alec was willing to bet that Magnus had followed down some of the same thought paths that Alec had and reached the same conclusions.

“We can’t stay,” Alec said quietly, eyes on Magnus’.

The other man nodded calmly at him. “I know. Neither can we.”

So, he had. That made this so much easier.

Everyone else fell silent. They watched as the two Alphas faced off against one another. What happened next was going to be up to them. The others would follow their lead.

“We can stay long enough to help you get out of here and somewhere safe,” Alec offered. It was the least they could do. Not just because this was partly his fault, but because he didn’t want to see any of these people hurt, and if he could help stop that than he would. “Once your people are safe, we’ll do our best to lay a few false trails. Maia’s one of our best that. She and Jace are the best trackers we’ve got.”

Magnus sat back in his seat and drew one hand up, his elbow on the armrest. One of his fingers absently scratched at the skin alongside his thumb. “We’ve got another place we can fall back to. But getting there won’t be easy. We run the risk of being seen and drawing their attention to the other Sanctuary.”

“We can help with that.”

The look that passed between the two Alphas in that moment spoke more than words. They’d gotten to know one another these past few days as they’d discussed what might be done to gather more information and begin planning against Jonathan. Alec knew that Magnus was both a warrior and a protector. He’d fight to the death to keep his people safe, and to stop Jonathan. In that moment, Alec was silently pledging to do the same.

The people here needed safe passage to the other Sanctuary. That one was built more for hunkering down. There, they’d be able to properly hide the ones too young or not willing to fight. Magnus, and the friends he kept there, would be able to keep them safe. That was his job.

With the nod that Magnus gave him, it was now Alec's job to get them all there.

A glance around at his Clanmates told Alec that they were all in agreement. The fierce looks in their eyes, the way they held themselves, all made it clear that they were with him. Every last one of them. Alec smiled proudly at them. “All right,” he said, voice low yet firm. “Everyone, I want you to go get some rest and refuel. Jace can show you where to go. Make use of the daylight hours wisely. Come nightfall, I want you ready to move.”

“Go to Catarina and let her know what we’re doing,” Magnus said, his words directed to Raphael. He sounded just as serious as Alec, and just as steady. “Then start preparations. Make sure no one knows anything but that we’re moving. If they want to leave, let them. But make sure everyone else is ready once night falls.”

They were committed to this now. Together, they’d get Magnus ad his people to safety, and then…

 ** _Then, we hunt_** , Kyra said darkly.

Alec's smile was full of ice. _Then we hunt._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading - be sure to let me know what you think!
> 
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